[Music] The work from home Trend seems to be Here to stay but how does it affect Women in the workforce a New York Times Article examines how it has allowed more Women to stay in their careers but also How it could make it harder for some to Get ahead so joining us now with more is Sarah Kesler she is the author of the Article and the editor of the New York Times dealbook newsletter thanks for Joining us this is actually a Conversation that Vlad and I have often Not not necessarily about women but About the pit Falls of not going into The office and not having that FaceTime Right so how is the dynamic of remote Work impacting women's roles in the Workplace so I think the the there's Like a surprising effect happening where Um right now the labor force Participation rate of women is actually The highest it's ever been and that's Pretty surprising considering at the Beginning of the pandemic people were Participating or predicting something Called like a Cession like the idea that Women were were taking on all this extra Work with um remote schools and daycare Is closing and a lot of them were having To step back from their careers for that Reason um but instead we have you know a Ton of women participating in the Workforce and some economists think that
Remote work has something to do with That so um what is the so-called mommy Track and how has the pandemic played a Role in That sure so um basically the job of Today was really made with the workforce Of the 1960s in mind so idea that you're Always going to be available if you're Serious you know you're not going to Leave to pick up your kids at daycare And that's like really hard for um Parents who both work to pull off so Historically when kind of um remote work Or sorry when when kind of caretaking Responsibilities conflict with careers It's women who take a step back um and Take a part-time job or take a less um Demanding job and you know there's There's a lot of academic research Showing that that is part of what causes The gender pay Gap because hour per hour In a lot of Industries you're paid less If you have a part-time or more flexible Job and we did so like the mommy track Is Not Like A New Concept right it's Exactly what you described but then when The pandemic hit we St I don't know if It was true or not but we started to see More and more stories of women saying Exactly what you said I can't do it all Something's got to give and maybe it's Going to be my job at least for now Until we figure out what this pandemic Thing is all about because I've got a
Remote school I got a you know oversee a Mini classroom while I'm working and It's just not going to Happen so the surprising effect kind of Of the pandemic has and and women Staying in the workforce is that there Was like a little bit more flexibility By default you know nobody knew if You're picking up the kid at 5 p.m. and It was fathers and Executives and people Without children all working home so it Wasn't necessarily seen as this Accommodation that was for less serious People which is How has been seen in the past and the Risk um is that kind of acceptability of It goes away so for a long time you know Because everyone was doing it there was No Stigma and not as much penalty for Doing this um but there's a chance that People could start to see it this way as You know you're really serious you come Into the office and in that case people Without care giving responsibilities Which are men who are married to people Who are not Homemakers or who have not Taken the stepback um and women who have Kids um will be less likely to go to the Office and that could be a way that you Fall behind in your career if employers Are thinking of is less serious for that Reason see I was hoping that this would Actually lead to some sort of cultural Shift right that that I thought it would
Yeah because remember for a time there They were like you know what we realize We have too many meetings so let's stop With the meeting oh it's a it's a big Shift we're not doing as many meetings Now right and that people would sort of Get that as long as you're getting your Work done you're a valuable employee but I guess you know as long as the people Who are actually sort of making the Rules don't like to come into the office Then it's going to be hard to get them To shift the rules for everyone Else yeah I think you're right that it Really is a cultural thing because There's there's plenty of evidence that Shows that um you know working more Hours and being seen more um at the Office doesn't necessarily make you a Better worker more productive worker um There's all sorts of ways to combine Like working at at home and working at The office if employers think about it In a different way it doesn't have to be That they let everybody work remotely All the time you know even just a Mindset where it's like okay we're Hiring both mothers and fathers so it Makes sense that someone's going to have To leave at 5: and that's not a bad Thing um if finish up from home later You know even that is like a meaningful Shift yeah wow well maybe we'll have Baby steps yeah I mean you hope no pun
Intended no yeah is that a pun that's Not a pun but it's kind of like IM it's It's it's complimentary imagery mother's Babies father's babies baby steps uh Sarah Kesler great to have you thank you Very much reporting is really Interesting thanks thank you
